U.S. Forest Service · Pike and San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands · Leadville, CO

Printer Boy

Printer Boy Group Campground is located near Turquoise Lake, in an area with plenty of recreational opportunities, including boating, fishing and hiking.

Closed for the seasonReservable · Recreation.gov4 sites40 ft maxNo hookupsPets okFires ok

More like this: reservable in Colorado · big rigs in Colorado · pets allowed in Colorado · group sites in Colorado

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Printer Boy Group CampgroundPrinter Boy Group Campground previewPrinter Boy Group Campground Community Cookhouse interiorPrinter Boy Group Campground dumpsters
Photos courtesy of USFS · Recreation.gov
2fires
active
Willow · 6 mi away · 7,359 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Group sites4
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 40 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

4 sites in 4 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteLoopFits, ftSurfaceShadePeople / vehiclesFiresAccessible
GR2GRP240PavedFull30 / 8Yes
GR3GRP340PavedFull30 / 8YesYes
GR4GRP440PavedFull75 / 15Yes
GR1PRIN40PavedFull50 / 15Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length40 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions
AccessibilitySites GR3, GR4 are listed accessible

Printer Boy offers four group sites: 1 can accommodate up to 50 people; 2 and 3 can accommodate up to 30 people; 4 can accommodate up to 75 people. Sites 3 and 4 are accessible. Each site is equipped with picnic tables, a campfire circle and grill. A centrally-located cooking shelter is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Vault toilets and trash collection are provided.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
ForestPike-San Isabel National Forests
BookingCall 1-877-444-6777 or visit www.recreation.gov at least 4 days in advance. Friday and Saturday night minimum required stay on weekends. 3 nights minimum on holiday weekends.
FeesGroup sites 1 and 4 are $160 per night, sites 2 and 3 are $81. RV dump station use is $17.
RulesMaximum of eight people per site. Maximum three tents per site or one RV and two tents. Dogs, including service dogs, must be leashed at all times. No discharge of firearms or fireworks. Only licensed vehicles can operate inside campground. Camping is not allowed behind a locked gate

Pike-San Isabel National Forests recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Printer Boy10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 0.97 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.43 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.34 inches of precipitationApril: 1.71 inches of precipitationMay: 1.40 inches of precipitationJune: 0.93 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.86 inches of precipitationAugust: 2.10 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.42 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.05 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.30 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.06 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 17.5°F averageFebruary: 18.0°F averageMarch: 24.3°F averageApril: 31.1°F averageMay: 41.0°F averageJune: 51.1°F averageJuly: 56.1°F averageAugust: 53.9°F averageSeptember: 46.7°F averageOctober: 37.2°F averageNovember: 26.6°F averageDecember: 18.4°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 in2.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Sugarloaf Rsvr, 2 miles from the campground at 9,738 feet, station USC00058064 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 17 inches a year.

Getting there

From Leadville, Colorado, drive west on County Road 4 and follow signs to the Turquoise Lake Recreation Area.

Nearest townLeadville, Colorado
Coordinates39.2694° N, 106.3467° W · Directions ↗

Charges and cancellations

Group Sites Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive.

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Willow

    6 mi from the campground · 7,359 acres · 92% contained

  • Prescribed
    Harris Park Broadcast Rx

    49 mi from the campground · 390 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearVail Sports ↗23.9 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗29.1 mi
RV sales & serviceHoliday RV ↗54.1 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Worth a stop

The nearby town of Leadville, a historic gold and silver mining town, is worth visiting for its small town charm. Venture to Independence Pass for a scenic drive with breathtaking views of the Rockies and surrounding alpine tundra habitat. At 12,095 feet, it is one of the highest paved mountain passes in the country and marks where the Top of the Rockies National Scenic and Historic Byway crosses the Continental Divide.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.3 mi
    Rift
    1.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.3 mi
    Lateral
    0.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.3 mi
    Kettle
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.3 mi
    Rift Connector
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.4 mi
    Terminal
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.4 mi
    Bodfish Connector
    0.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

White River National Forest begins about 0.3 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Natural features

The campground is situated within walking distance of the lakeshore in a forest of lodgepole pine and subalpine fir. The Mount Massive Wilderness area, a 30,540 acre stretch of primitive land is nearby. Much of the wilderness is above timberline with many alpine plant communities and permanent snowfields.

Recreation

Hikers enjoy the 1.2-mile Turquoise Lake Nature Trail. The gentle path meanders through the forest and down to the shoreline of Turquoise Lake where it connects with the 6.4-mile Turquoise Lake Trail. Trail guides are available at the Turquoise Lake Trail trailhead, located at the entrance to Molly Brown Campground. On the lake, boating, sailing, canoeing and fishing are favorite activities. Anglers fish for stocked cutthroat, rainbow, brown and lake trout. A boat ramp is located nearby. The campground offers a playground, ball fields, horseshoe pits and a volleyball court. Campers must bring their own sports equipment.

Guidebooks for Colorado

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Printer Boy?

Sites at Printer Boy are reservable on Recreation.gov. Call 1-877-444-6777 or visit www.recreation.gov at least 4 days in advance. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Printer Boy?

Group sites 1 and 4 are $160 per night, sites 2 and 3 are $81. RV dump station use is $17.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Printer Boy?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

What does it cost to cancel a reservation at Printer Boy?

Group Sites Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.

Source: Charges and cancellations

Is Printer Boy open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Printer Boy have?

4 sites, including 4 group sites.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Printer Boy?

The longest site here provides 40 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are pets allowed at Printer Boy?

Yes, pets are allowed at Printer Boy. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Printer Boy?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 2 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one. Maximum of eight people per site.

Source: Fire nearby

Are there accessible sites at Printer Boy?

Sites GR3 and GR4 are listed accessible on Recreation.gov. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Printer Boy?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Printer Boy?

Hikers enjoy the 1.2-mile Turquoise Lake Nature Trail. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation